only motive this nobleman had in view; and that he purfued with unabating affiduity. Plots, treafons, ftratagems, and negotiations, followed each other in rapid fucceffion; but at last fortune feemed to favour Warwick's aims; and the king, as we are told, fell into his power, by accepted an invitation, which the earl gave him, in order to betray him. Be this as it may, Edward had foon the good fortune to see himself at the head of a numerous army, and in a condition to take fatisfaction for the treachery of his powerful opponent. Refolving therefore to take advantage of the enemies weaknefs, after having defeated a party commanded by lord Well, and cut off his head, he marched to give them battle. In this exigence, Warwick, and the duke of Clarence had no other resource but to quit the kingdom; and embarking for Calais, they feized upon fome Flemish veffels, which they found lying along that coaft, with which they entered one of the ports of France. Here they entered into an union with Margaret, which was dictated by neceffity; both fides being willing to forget their mutual animofity, in order to fecond their revenge. Lewis the king of France, prepared a fleet to efcort them; and feizing the opportunity, they landed at Dartmouth with a small body of troops, while Edward was in the North, fuppreffing an infurrection which had lately appeared there. Nothing can be more extrao dinary than the fuccefs of Warwick upon this occafion. The fpirit of difcontent with which many were infected, and the general inftability of the English nation, confpired with his ambition; and in less than fix days fuch multitudes flocked to his ftandard, that he faw himself at the head of an army of threefcore thousand men.

It was now become Edward's turn to fly the kingdom. He had just time to elcape an attempt VOL. II.

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made upon his perfon in the night, by the marquis -of Montague; and to embark on board a small fleet, which lay off Lynn in Norfolk. Nor were his dangers leffened at fea, where he was chafed by some ships belonging to the Hanse towns, who were then at war with both France and England. But at length he landed fafely in Holland, where he received a cool reception from the duke of Burgundy, with whom he had fome time before entered into an alliance.

A. D.

In the mean time, Warwick, with his refiftlefs army, advanced to London; and once more the poor paffive king Henry 1470. was released from prifon to be placed upon a dangerous throne. A parliament was called, which confirmed Henry's title with great folemnity; and Warwick was himfelf received among the people under the title of the King-maker. All the attainders of the Lancaftrians were reverfed; and every one was restored, who had loft either honours or fortune by his former adherence to Henry's caufe. All the confiderable Yorkifts either fed to the continent, or took fhelter in fanctuaries, where the ecclefiaftical privileges afforded them protection.

But Edward's party, though repreffed, was not defroyed. Though an exile in Holland, he had many partizans at home; and after an absence of nine months, being feconded by a small body of forces, granted him by the duke of Burgundy, he made a defcent at Ravenspur in Yorkshire. Though at first he was coolly received by the Englifh, yet his army encreafed upon its march, while his moderation and feigned humility still added to the number of his partizans. London at that time ever ready to admit the moft powerful, opened her gates to him; and the wretched Henry was

once

once more plucked from his throne, to be fent back to his former mansion.

Thus Warwick began to experience the instability of fortune, and find his party declining; but what gave the most dreadful blow to his hopes was the defection of his fon-in law, the duke of Clarence, who went over to Edward, and threw all his weight into the oppofite fcale. Nothing now therefore remained to Warwick, but to cut fhort a ftate of anxious fufpenfe by hazarding a battle; and though he knew his forces to be inferior to thofe of Edward, yet he placed his greatest dependence upon his own generalfhip. With this refolution, therefore, he marched from St. Alban's, where he was ftationed, and advancing towards Barnet, within ten miles of London, there refolved to wait for Edward, who was not flow in marching down to oppofe him. Warwick and Edward were at that time confidered as the two most renowned generals of the age; and now was to be ftruck the decifive blow that was either to fix Edward on the throne, or to overthrow his pretenfions for ever. The unfortunate Henry alfo was dragged along to be a fpectator of the engagement; happy in his natural imbecillity, which feemed as a balm to footh all his afflictions.

A. D.

1471.

The battle began early in the morning, and lafted till noon; for never did two armies fight with greater obftinacy and bravery, not honour, but April 14. life, depending on the iffue of the contest. The example of Warwick infpired his troops with more. than common refolution, and the victory for a while feemed to declare in his favour. But an accident at last threw the balance against him; from the miftinefs of the morning, a part of his army happening to miftake a body of their own

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forces

forces for that of the enemy, fell furiously upon them; and this error turned the fortune of the day. Warwick did all that experience, valour, or conduct could fuggeft, to retrieve the miftake; but it was now too late; no art could recover the former error; wherefore, finding all hopes gone, he was refolved to fell the conquerors a dear-bought victory. He had, contrary to his ufual practice, engaged that day on foot; and led a chofen body of troops into the thickeft of the flaughter, he there fell in the midst of his enemies, covered over with wounds. His brother underwent the fame fate; and ten thousand of his adherents were flain, Edward having ordered that no quarter should be gi

ven.

Margaret, who had been ever fruitful in resources, was at that time returning from France with her fon, the prince of Wales, where fhe had been negotiating for fresh fupplies. She had fcarce time to refresh herself from the fatigues of her voyage, when he received the fatal news of the death of the brave Warwick, and the total deftruction of her party. Though fhe had hitherto boldly withftood all the attacks of fortune, the prefent information was too violent a blow for nature to fup. port. Her grief, for the first time, found way in a torrent of tears; and yielding to her unhappy fate, fhe took fanctuary in the abbey of Beaulieu in Hampshire.

She had not been long in this melancholy abode before the found fome few friends ftill willing to affift her fallen fortunes. Tudor, earl of Pembroke, Courtney, earl of Devonshire, the lords Wenlock and St. John, with other men of rank, exhorted her fill to hope for fuccefs, and offered to affift her to the laft. A dawn of hope was fufficient to revive the courage of this magnanimous woman; and the recollection of her former mif

fortunes

fortunes gave way to the flattering profpects of another trial. She had now fought battles in almoit every province in England; Tewksbury-Park was the laft fcene that terminated her attempts. The duke of Somerset headed her army; a man who had shared her dangers, and had ever been fteady in her cause. He was valiant, generous, and polite; but rafh and headftrong. When Edward fift attacked him in his entrenchments, he repulfed him with fuch vigour, that the enemy retired with precipitation; upon which the duke, fuppofing them routed, purfued, and ordered lord Wenlock to fupport his charge. But unfortunately this lord difobeyed his orders; and Somerfet's forces were foon overpowered by numbers. In this dreadful exigence, the duke, finding that all was over, became ungovernable in his rage; and beholding Wenlock inactive, and remaining in the very place where he had firft drawn up his men, giving way to his fury, with his heavy battle-axe in both hands, he ran upon the coward, and with one blowe dafhed out his brains.

The queen and the prince were taken prifoners after the battle, and brought into the prefence of Edward. The young prince appeared before the conqueror with undaunted majefty; and being afked, in an infulting manner, how he dared to invade England without leave, the young prince more mindful of his high birth than of his ruined fortune, replied, "I have entered the dominions "of my father, to revenge his injuries, and re-"drefs my own." The barbarous Edward, enraged at his intrepidity, ftruck him on the mouth with his gauntlet; and this ferved as a fignal for further brutality: the dukes of Gloucefter, Clarence, and others, like wild beafts, rushing on the unarmed youth at once, stabbed him to the heart with their daggers. To complete the tragedy, Henry

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